Improvement in wrenches



E. H. KNIGHT.

WRENCH.

Patented May 30,1876.

U'Nrrnny StrA'rnsy PATENT @Prion EDWARD H. KNIGHT, oir-PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

f IMPROVEMENTY IN WRENCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l7S,l,62, dated May 30, 1876; application filed March 31, 1876. i

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. KNIGHT, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wrenches 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear and exact description of the nature thereof, snflicient tofenable others skilled Ain the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand, make, and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l isa side view of the wrench enibodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the back thereof. Fig. 3 is a section in the line :v fr, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is 'a section of a portionof a modification. Fig. 5 is a top View thereof. Fig. 6 is a transverse section in line y y.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists of a sliding bar carrying one of the jaws, and provided with a nut or stop, in combination with the handle,

- having a shoulder or stop, whereby a spring,

engaging with the sliding bar, will press the jaw thereof toward thestationa-ry jaw, so that the jaws close automatically on the nut or other article to be grasped after they have turned the corners or angles of the latter, after which the jaws will be held by a lever, which engages with the sliding bar. It also consists `of a jaw, secured to a sliding bar,which is drawn inwardly by a spring, in ,combination with a jaw, which is tted to said bar, and provided with an adjusting-screw, whereby the jaw may be adjusted relativelyv to the thickness of the nut or article to be grasped, and the sliding bar will be engaged by the controlling-lever always at the same shoulder or notch, regardless of the thickness of the nut or article.A

Referrin g to the drawings, A represents the bar; B, the handle; C, the lxedjaw; and D,

the movable jaw, adjustable relatively to the xed jaw by means of a screw, E, fitted to said movable jaw and to a step or stirrup, F,

Y through which the barA passes loosely. The

handle B is hollow, or partly hollow, and re ceives the tang G ot' the bar A, loosely fitted therein. H represents a spring, which coils around the outer end of the tang, and engages `with a Shoulder, a., on the inner face of the handle, and with a pin, nut, or stop, b, on said outer end of the tang, so as to .draw the tang within the hollow of the handle, and consequently draw the bar A toward said handle. To the lower end of the stirrup F there is hinged a lever, J, which extends in the direction of the length of the handle B, and is forced therefrom by the action of a spring, K, interposed between the handle and lever, or otherwise suitably applied. On the inner face of the lever there is a lug, L, which projects inwardly, and passesthrough an opening in the handle B, so as lto engage with a shoulder, M,

`on the face of the tang G, adjacent to the lecle to be engaged, and turned in a manner similar to a wrench of ordinary construction. The operator then grasps the handle B and lever J, so as to cause the lug L to engage with the shoulder M of the talig G, whereby the tang G, and consequently the bar A will have no sliding motion, the jaw C being thereby controlled. Then the wrench will be operated as an ordinary wrench. When the turn has been made, the operator lets go the lever J, whereby the tang is released, and the jaw C is no longer controlled, the spring K forcing the lug L from the shoulder M of the tang. The wrench is then returned to its iirst position without previously removing the jaw from the nut or other article, as is usual in an ordinary wrench.

When the jaws in the returning motion of the wrench reach the corners or angles of the article, they are not stopped thereby, for the spring H will be overcome, and thus the jaw G yields, so as to increase the space between the jaws, and thus the latter ride freely over the said corners or angles of the article, so as to assume positions on the next face of which they are to take hold. The spring H now draws the jaw C to its first-adjusted or normal position. Then the operator grasps the handle B and lever J, whereby the lug L and s! Msgs@ shoulder M engage, and thus the jaw C is again controlled, the tang G of the bar A being immovably held in the handle. Another turn of the Wrench on the article may then be made, and the operation, being similar to that stated, will be continued until finished, it being noticed that in turning the nut or other article after a turn is made the wrench will not be removed from the article to take a fresh .hold thereon.

In Figs. 4 and 5, and the diagram in the lower left-hand corner of the drawings, the jaws are of' different form, and they yield in opposite directions; or they may be formed in sections, and yield in diametrically-opposite directions 5 but they will be controlled, released, and caused to operate in a manner similar to the jaws C D.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. rlhe sliding bar A, carrying the jaw C,

and provided with the nut or stop b, in coml Witnesses:

J oHN A. WIEDE-RSHEIM, A. P. GRANT. 

